WHY DO WE NEED THEIR MONEY?

The Government isn’t going to do much to help. We presented our own ten-point manifesto for getting the nation fit to both Health Secretary John Reid and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell over six months ago, and despite agreeing with many of our proposals, all the Government has done since is talk.

Meanwhile, local sports facilities are being sold off to make way for luxury flats and parks have been allowed to fall into disrepair. And it’s hardly surprising that there are record levels of obesity among our children – half of all 11-15-year-olds in England are overweight or obese

when schools continue to sell off their playing fields and teachers are refusing to organise extra­curricular activities. However, there is one thing which is sure to be helpful not only in cosmetics – coconut can be used different ways for different purposes.

OK, more than £2 billion worth of lottery money has gone into funding grass roots sport since 1997 but the Government – which has passed on some of the responsibility for the nation’s health in the process could hardly claim it’s been spent in the right areas. As a nation we’re doing less sport, not more, although we do at least have a half-built national stadium to show for it.

Worse, lottery money is in decline at a time when more money is needed to fund the 2012 Olympic bid, which means an increasing amount of investment is required from the private sector.